I've said this before, but I'm definitively confirming it now: The DSS has LESS hiss than the Mixamp 5.8 at higher volumes.

The DSS still has more hiss at lower volumes, but as you get into the louder volumes they reverse and the DSS has less hiss. I'm not sure where the exact crossover point is. It's when the Mixamp's amplifier hiss starts to kick in, past 60% volume or so.

I've got them both running into the M-Stage. The DSS is at MAX volume, the Mixamp 5.8 is at 2 o'clock 100% game (which is about 80% of it's max) which puts them nearly the same volume level. The DSS has noticeably less hiss. When I pause the game I can barely detect it - with Mixamp 5.8 it's easier to hear the faint hiss.

So the DSS still isn't good for things like AD700s and other easily driven hiss-susceptible headphones, but for double amping + harder to drive headphones the DSS will have a quieter noise floor than the mixamp 5.8 - assuming you've got the them both past ~60% volume. It's true that Mixamp 5.8 gets a little louder overall, but it really gets hissy in that last 20% percent of amping, so I would avoid that area if possible.

I'm not sure why the DSS has more hiss at lower volumes but less at louder volumes - something to do with SNR vs amplifier hiss maybe? I dunno....

It's too bad the Mixamp 5.8 is discontinued, so this information isn't all that useful.

I wonder where the 2013 mixamp falls in terms of noise floor...

Quote:

Originally Posted by chicolom

The Mixamp 5.8 actually hisses louder than the DSS when they both go past >60% volume and beyond. The DSS never reaches 5.8 at loudest volume hiss, but it doesn't quite reach 5.8 at lowest volume hiss either.

- The DSS maximum hiss is definitely less than anything past 2 o'clock on the 5.8 at 50/50 balance.

Makes me wonder if the DSS would be a better preamp than the 5.8 , since its quieter at its louder volumes near the line out levels.

The hiss embeds itself in the signal, so even if you're not at that 60% volume level where hiss is apparent on the Mixamp, if you double amp high enough to be at a similar decibel level, you'll get the same exact hiss. So I would still max out the Mixamp 5.8 and control volume with the external amp.

The Mixamp 5.8 has a similar hiss as the mixamp 2013. They must use a similar section of internal circuitry that cause the same hiss.

The hiss embeds itself in the signal, so even if you're not at that 60% volume level where hiss is apparent on the Mixamp, if you double amp high enough to be at a similar decibel level, you'll get the same exact hiss. So I would still max out the Mixamp 5.8 and control volume with the external amp.

The Mixamp 5.8 has a similar hiss as the mixamp 2013. They must use a similar section of internal circuitry that cause the same hiss.

.....I AM double amping at a high and similar decibel level, and the DSS has less hiss.

Quote:

Quote:I've got them both running into the M-Stage. The DSS is at MAX volume, the Mixamp 5.8 is at 2 o'clock 100% game (which is about 80% of it's max) which puts them nearly the same volume level. The DSS has noticeably less hiss.

There is a difference between the noise floor hiss (which is what you mean by hiss that gets embedded in the signal) and the hiss introduced by the amplifier gain.

The mixamp has a noisier amplifier while the DSS has a higher noise floor. At some point, the noise added by increasing the gain on the Mixamp's amplifier becomes greater than the total noise of the DSS's amp gain + noise floor hiss.

Your no longer hearing the noise floor hiss at that point, your hearing the hiss from turning up the amplifier gain too much.

All of this noise gets carried over the signal to the next amp, which is why the DSS at the higher volumes is quieter.

Meaning that once you get a loud enough decibel level, regardless of whatever combination of Mixamp/external amp you use, you will get that same audible hiss. Lowering the Mixamp volume won't lower the hiss. All it will do is lower the information being sent to the external amp, effectively making yoj lose detail for no real reason. Unless someone can gauge where the Mixamp's line level is, it's best to max it out, IMHO.

The hiss isn't directly tied to just the Mixamp's volume level, but embedded into the signal, and regardless of how you get there, once you get to a loud enough decibel level (for example 80db), that hiss will come out regardless of whatever combination of volume levels you have on the Mixamp and external amp.

I wasnt directly comparing the DSS, as I haven't really used one.Edited by Mad Lust Envy - 3/22/13 at 2:44am

Meaning that once you get a loud enough decibel level, regardless of whatever combination of Mixamp/external amp you use, you will get that same audible hiss. Lowering the Mixamp volume won't lower the hiss. All it will do is lower the information being sent to the external amp, effectively making yoj lose detail for no real reason. Unless someone can gauge where the Mixamp's line level is, it's best to max it out, IMHO.

The hiss isn't directly tied to just the Mixamp's volume level, but embedded into the signal, and regardless of how you get there, once you get to a loud enough decibel level (for example 80db), that hiss will come out regardless of whatever combination of volume levels you have on the Mixamp and external amp.

I wasnt directly comparing the DSS, as I haven't really used one.

Oh, OK. I see what you're saying. I misread it.

All I know is, when you set the DSS to MAX volume and then set the mixamp to an equivalent volume (which is about 80% of the mixamp's max) the DSS has less hiss in the signal. I even tested it with all other equipment turned of (consoles/TVs) so I could get everything dead quiet in order to hear it more clearly.

I don't know all the technical details, but it's there, and you know I'm one of the first to admit if something is probably placebo. Have I ever lied to you!

It's not like it's a huge difference. It's just on the DSS I can barely hear the noise - I have to strain myself a little to hear it, while I don't have to as much on the mixamp. When actually gaming (and not paused), both are complete non-issues of course.

I dont doubt it. Less hiss is always a good thing, though I don't find the hiss on any Mixamp problematic, either way. The AX720 however...that thing is quite hissy no matter what I did. Not sure how the newer AX720+ behaves though.

For some reason the Mixamp 5.8 has slightly more forward upper mids than the DSS (I've said this before too). There's also the muddier bass boost (which boosts some of lower mids), I don't really think either of those things are needed on the Anniversaries. The DSS ends up making the Anniversaries sounding slightly cleaner and tighter in comparison, which was what I was going for. Once you dial in some DSS bass boost, they shift towards a more "fun" shaped signature than the mixamp is capable of doing.

The bass is frightening when you crank it up. I love that clean punchy variable DSS bass boost.

Thanks for the description of Open versus closed. Pretty simple and obvious really.

Im going to look into all the mixamp equivalents you mentioned. What about the tritton amp is it any good? Since I have one...

Quote:

Originally Posted by Evshrug

Let's see, was there anything else... Oh, I started my undergrad as a student of mechanical engineering, but I failed Calc even though I was doing fine with Physics. Life takes us in funny directions. I work as a shift manager at a restaurant now and do graphic design work on the side.

Funny, I did my degree and worked in Japan as an EE for a few years. I then returned to Ireland having lost all love for working in the field. Now my wife and I own a Montessori School and a music school in our local shopping Centre. (Mall?). Complete change of pace but I havent looked back once. So I know what you mean about funny directions.